The Subterfuge of Bailout Bob Bennett

A subterfuge is more than a lie. Merriam-Webster defines it as "...the telling of a lie in order to...gain an end." We denounce our three-term-seeking-fourth Senator Bailout Bob Bennett Burns as using subterfuge to deceive voters into voting for him based on his promise to (1) limit his own term to twelve years and (2) fight for term limits.

The following are a sampling of articles from 18 long years ago when Bennett originally ran for office. (Note: These articles are not freely available on the web due to their age, however all can be easily examined with most Utah library cards using the Newsbank database. Please feel free to examine the articles in full if there arouses any question about the validity or context. Bold emphasis is ours.)

CAMPAIGN '92: SENATORIAL CANDIDATES ON THE ISSUES
Salt Lake Tribune, The (UT) - Thursday, October 29, 1992

Senator: If elected to the Senate, will you place a limit on the number of terms
you will seek? If so, how many?
Yes. Twelve years, two terms in the Senate and six in the House....I also support term limits...

ROLLY & WELLS ...
Salt Lake Tribune, The (UT) - Monday, April 27, 1992

BRENT WARD, in a recent joint appearance by Republican U.S. Senate candidates, promised: "I am not going to stay in the Congress for more than 12 years. Period.''
"If you're going to only serve two terms,'' said candidate Bob
Bennett, 'why don't you let me serve two terms first. You're a
young guy.''

4 UTAH SENATE CANDIDATES TRY TO STAND APART
Deseret News, The (Salt Lake City, UT) - Monday, July 20, 1992
Author: Bob Bernick Jr., Political Editor

Bennett said he's "seen the light'' on term limitation. He'll only stay two terms, 12 years, and supports term limitation by law.

The following excerpt demonstrates that term limits was a forefront issue back in 1992 highlighted by retiring Senator Garn who had his own self-imposed term limit problems:

Garn to Depart Senate After 18-Year Tenure
Salt Lake Tribune, The (UT) - Thursday, May 30, 1991
Author: Dan Harrie, SLTribune

"When I first ran for the Senate, I intended to only be here two terms. I have stayed one term longer than I originally intended to," said Mr. Garn, who has repeatedly co-sponsored legislation to limit senators to two consecutive terms. "If you preach over and over again that there ought to be term limitations, even though I rationalized a third term, I think you ought to practice what you preach."

Senator Bennett: we agree with former Sen. Garn. We believe you ought to practice what you preach. You preached to us and promised to us 18 years ago when we were just a mere BYU student that you would serve 2 terms--12 years. You lied. You used subterfuge to get elected and thought we were so stupid we would forget about your promise. As a devout Mormon, Nacilbupera's religion preaches to us about the importance of keeping covenants, oaths, and promises; yet through your senatorial perpetuity you have blasphemed these very values we hold dear.

We raise a title of liberty against you, your hypocrisy, and your subterfuge. We will not vote for you again, period. No convention vote, no primary vote, no general election vote. In this you have disgraced yourself, your party, and ill-represent your religious standards. We bear this witness against you.

Now you have the audacity to come to our hometown to campaign at the Provo Marriott at 730pm tomorrow for another 6 years which would put your total at 24. We don't know if we'll be there or not, but if we're not could you answer this one question:

Why do you persist on making a mockery of your own promise to limit yourself to two terms?

The Subterfuge of Bailout Bob Bennett: Part 2 The Nitty Gritty

Part 2 is going to be a detailed and lengthy response to an anonymous poster who requested more info on the sources. Read at your own peril; we are not responsible if you fall asleep...

We are dividing up the source documentation into two parts:

Part 1: Bennett talking specifically about limiting himself
Part 2: Bennett talking about his support of term limits

We will not quote the article in full for copyright reasons, but will in our citation include extraneous subject material proceeding (if any) of the issue of term limits as well as following (if any) to show we have covered the full article subtopic of term limits. Furthermore, we will do no editing or emphasizing to convey a true flavor of the article as it was intended.

PART 1 QUOTES:

• CAMPAIGN '92: SENATORIAL CANDIDATES ON THE ISSUES
  Salt Lake Tribune, The (UT) - Thursday, October 29, 1992
  SENATORIAL CANDIDATES ON THE ISSUES
  "Senator
  If elected to the Senate, will you place a limit on the number of terms you will seek? If so, how many?
  Yes. Twelve years, two terms in the Senate and six in the House.
  What is the single biggest problem facing the nation today?
  The single biggest problem facing our nation is a Congress that doesn't work. This has led to the biggest economic problem, the federal deficit. I have made Congressional reform a centerpiece of my campaign. The first bill I will introduce is a bill to reduce the size of congressional staff by at least 25%. I also support term limits, the line-item veto, and the balanced-budget amendment with a tax limitation provision, which will help with both the debt and Congressional reform. All of these measures will help change the way Congress operates and help reduce the federal deficit.
  If elected, you will have no seniority in the U.S. Senate. Even if congressional reform takes place in the near future, Utah will be left in the next few years with a Senator without clout. How do you propose to overcome that?
  The rules of the Senate give a new senator power to influence legislation in a way that many new members of the House cannot. I have worked in the Senate, I know the rules, and I can make them work for Utah. Recent history reminds us that new senators, who are willing to work hard, often have a significant impact even in their first terms. For example, Sen. Hatch led the fight against significant new labor laws during his first term. I am tenacious and work hard. I will have an impact, even as a junior senator...."

• UTAH SENATE CANDIDATES TRY TO STAND APART
  Deseret News, The (Salt Lake City, UT) - Monday, July 20, 1992
  Author: Bob Bernick Jr., Political Editor
  "...Here's how the four see their primary races: Bob BennettPointing to Cannon's current TV advertisements, Bennett said his campaign will concentrate ``on solutions, not slogans,'' and on Bennett's emphasis on cleaning up Congress. ``Congress is the problem, the place to start. You can't fix Washington until you fix Congress. And you can't do that with slogans like `We should replace all the people back there,' '' said Bennett. Specifics? Bennett said he's ``seen the light'' on term limitation. He'll only stay two terms , 12 years, and supports term limitation by law. To help control Congress' spending, Bennett supports a line-item veto for the president. ``Joe doesn't,'' he said. ``I'd cut the congressional staff by at least 25 percent...."

• ROLLY & WELLS ...
  Salt Lake Tribune, The (UT) - Monday, April 27, 1992
  ....Robert G. Pruett III represented WE, which received $5,000 from Waste Management Inc., which has lobbied for higher fees in Utah so firms will dispose of their waste at Waste Management's California facility instead.
  Pruett says he is a Waste Management representative to resolve any legal questions about WE's acceptance of the $5,000.
  BRENT WARD, in a recent joint appearance by Republican U.S. Senate candidates, promised: ``I am not going to stay in the Congress for more than 12 years. Period.''
  ``If you're going to only serve two terms ,'' said candidate Bob Bennett , ``why don't you let me serve two terms first. You're a young guy.''
  

PART 2 QUOTES:

• U.S. SENATE
  Deseret News, The (Salt Lake City, UT) - Tuesday, October 20, 1992
  "...How would you balance the federal budget?
  Bob Bennett (R)
  Adopt a balanced budget amendment with a tax limitation provision. Give the president the line-item veto to control pork-barrel spending. Adopt many of the remaining provisions of the Grace Commission. Limit growth of entitlement spending to a rate lower than the growth rate of the economy. Significantly cut federal operating budgets. Adopt a pro-growth tax and regulation policy.
  Wayne Owens (D)
  I support a presidential line-item veto; balanced budget amendment; 10-year sunset review of all federal agencies except entitlement programs; eight-year term limitation for committee chairmen; cut the number of committees and committee staffs by 25 percent; split federal budgets into capital (investment) and operating budgets, balance operating budgets; cut unnecessary programs whether they provide jobs in your state or not. I don't support an arbitrary cap on entitlements or unfair entitlement reductions, like Bennett calls for.
  Do you favor or oppose term limitations? If so, at what length?
  Bob Bennett (R)
  Yes. 12 years for the House and Senate.
  Wayne Owens (D)
  No. Term limits will undermine the power of small states in Congress, increase the power of the bureaucrats and special-interest lobbyists. A better solution is eight-year limits on committee chairmanships and reform campaign financing laws to make elections more competitive...."

• ELECTION '92: U.S. SENATE
  Deseret News, The (Salt Lake City, UT) - Sunday, November 1, 1992
  "...Bennett has built a campaign around one word - change. And he's pushed it in innovative TV commercials for more than nine months.
  Bennett , 58, says Congress must be reformed radically before other major federal problems, like the deficit, can be solved. He's for a balanced-budget amendment, with the provision to hold down tax increases.
  He favors a line-item veto for the president. He wants to cut congressional staffs and limit the terms of House and Senate members to 12 years each.
  Bennett says anyone who is serious about reducing the federal deficit must talk about entitlement programs, like Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid. While saying he won't reduce those benefits, he is willing to look at controlling their growth by linking them to the cost of living...."

• WHERE DO OWENS, BENNETT STAND?
  Deseret News, The (Salt Lake City, UT) - Tuesday, October 20, 1992
  Author: Bob Bernick Jr., Political Editor
  "...But it's clear Owens is going down, if indeed he ends up losing, fighting.
  To get a better handle on the issues that divide the two men, the Deseret News asked them to fill out a questionnaire.
  The men differ on health care reform; how to cut the military and how much; on term limitations for incumbent congressmen and campaign finance reform.
  Owens' campaign has revolved around one main theme: He's been an effective fighter for Utah's interests.
  Bennett has grabbed a hold of the word ``change'' - saying he is a man who can join with others and reform Congress and its fiscal mess...."
  
• CANNON, BENNETT FOCUS ON 2 DIFFERENT ISSUES
  Deseret News, The (Salt Lake City, UT) - Thursday, September 3, 1992
  Author: Gina Howard, Staff Writer
  While not disagreeing that the deficit is an important issue, Bennett said nothing can be done until problems with Congress are solved. ``For me, the number one issue is how are we going to restructure the Congress? That's why I favor term limitation and the (presidential) line-item veto,'' he said, adding that the first bill he plans to introduce would be to cut congressional staffs by 25 percent. Bennett said 43 of the 50 states' governors have the line-item veto, and that it's time the president has that power also.
  Cannon said he has some ``reservations'' about the line-item veto and opposes term limitation. Each would require a constitutional amendment, Cannon believes.
  Both candidates agreed the growth of entitlements like Medicaid, Medicare and welfare must be slowed; that changes in the welfare program must be made on a state level; and that the nation's health-care system needs to be reformed but not by a federally mandated, national health-care plan. Both oppose a congressional pay raise.
  Cannon said Congress deserves a pay raise - when they balance the budget. Congressmen's pensions should be gradually reduced so they don't have an incentive to stay in Congress. This would also make ``them live more like normal people . . . so they feel like normal people,'' Cannon said.
  Saying he will not accept the pension if he is elected, Bennett said that being a congressmen has become a full-time profession and called for a return to part-time citizen service. ``Citizen service is something you do for your country, not for your retirement,'' he said. Cannon said he opposes a national health-care plan because it ``would only be more costly and less efficient.'' He supports tax credits for small businesses. Bennett also supports tax credits and believes that it is silly that employers own health-care policies. ``You should own the policy yourself,'' he said.

Eager to Know Eagar

News From Cougarland

Caitlin Bronson published a great article today in the Daily Universe (BYU's student newspaper) on Cherilyn Eagar.

In the article, Eagar attached herself to voluntary term limits, (a position that should be adopted by every member of congress):

"If elected, Eagar said she will limit herself to two terms, unlike Bennett, who is currently [seeking] his fourth term. “He’s drunk the Potomac poison,” Eagar said. “But I think being a career politician is a shameful thing.”

Cherilyn also made the cot pledge (sleeping on a cot saves taxpayers money--albeit a small amount--the cot has become a symbol of commitment to the citizens to follow a path of fiscal conservatism), following in the Chaffetz tradition:

Eagar also said she will follow Chaffetz’s example of using a cot to sleep in her congressional office. “Only mine will be a queen-sized cot,” she said.

It would be a cold day in Obamaland for Bailout Bennett to sleep on such a cot; and yes, any Bennett supporters out there, you have been challenged!


From the KTKK achives

Here are links to talk shows Cherilyn has hosted or participated in on K-TALK, courtesy KTKK archives. You can get a real sense of Cherilyn's adherence to principles and values through her discussions as well as her wisdom and currency on a vast range of issues important to Utahns. The links point to mp3 files which can also be downloaded to your computer.

09-12-2008 Eagar and Duncan discussing Marriage Law hr1
09-12-2008 Eagar Discussing community organizing hr2
03-06-2009 Maryanne and Eagar on Glenn Beck 9/12 meetups and PTA's/PTO's hr1
04-24-2009 Eagar & McClory on Tea Parties hr1
04-24-2009 Eagar, Lockhart & Evans on Tea Parties & Beyond hr2
05-29-2009 Eagar on campaign hr1
05-29-2009 Eagar discussing US Senate hr2
06-12-2009 Gayle on Eagar's campaign hr1
07-17-2009 Eagar, McClory and Ruzicka discussing Eagar's campaign for US Senate hr1
07-24-2009 Eagar and Thompson on Conservative Republicans hr1

On Mary Bono Mack's vote for Cap n Tax

Mary isn't the conservative her married surnames--from deceased husband Sonny Bono and current husband Florida Congressman Connie Mack--might convey her to be. Indeed she has quite liberal views in some areas although she generally votes along Republican lines.

Nacilbupera voted for Mary when we lived in Riverside County (CA) and would take Mary over the radical liberal Democratic alternatives we were offered pretty much any day.

However, the 45th Congressional District of California deserves not just a Republican better than a socialist Democrat, but rather a conservative: one who will uphold family values and traditional marriage as so many Catholic and Hispanic voters in the district would urge, as well as a fiscal conservative who will seek solutions to our problems though paying down federal debt not growing government and expanding revenues.

Nacilbupera was disappointed in Mary's vote today for Cap and Tax; perhaps better said irate, although the emotion is directed at her vote, not her person. Mary was one of just 1 of 8 Republicans voting for Cap and Tax in a vote so close that if just 4 of those Republicans had not bolted from the party, the bill would have been defeated. Consequently, Nacilbupera feels that the time has come for Mary to retire from Congress. As we remarked in an earlier post Nacilbupera supports a maximum of 5 or 6 terms for our U.S. Representatives. Mary is on her 6th term and that is enough.

To replace Mary, let's have a conservative Republican rise up now to run in 2010 and have Mary support him or her. One thing we like about Mary is that she does have respect for conservatives. That is the noble thing to do. Be like a George Washington who refused to run for a third term because he knew it wasn't good for the country.

Understandably there are many who need to retire worse than Mary starting with the longest-serving senator ever, nonagenarian Senator Byrd, who Nacilbupera predicts will die in office before he ever retires because he is now too old and senile to accept change and comprehend his own senility. It is an uncomfortable thought that behind plagiarist Biden and know-nothing-on-interrogations Pelosi is this KKK relic to be President. Byrd should have retired long ago. But Republicans must lead and not wait for their Democratic partners to die or acquiesce power because the Democrats won't--as we learned from having to create the 22nd Amendment in lieu of Byrd-esque gems like FDR.

Arlen Specter: Case Study for Term Limits

Senator Arlen Specter does not seem a bad man and seems raised in good 'ol Midwestern values. That doesn't mean that Nacilburpera always agrees with his stances on the issues as he has repeatedly failed to protect the lives of the unborn. Yet this Republican Party of ours is a nationwide party full of different and yes, conflicting ideas. And although Nacilbupera didn't support him in the '96 Presidential-election Republican primary Nacilbupera was glad to see him run and listened to his calm, reasonable approach to the issues.

Specter severely irked Nacilbupera with his party line-crossing vote of passing this year's so-called "stimulus" bill (aka spending bill) which was a bunch of our money wasted by congress that eventually will have to be repaid. It seemed Specter was becoming increasingly less in common with Nacilbupera values.

Obviously the Republicans of Pennsylvania have had enough of Specter and polls show they are ready to vote him out in the upcoming primaries. Good riddance, we say.

Specter's answer is to switch parties to (he hopes) get elected to a 6th term. His actions demonstrate his primary concern is for power and to get reelected, not to represent the people of his party who have elected him time and time again. It doesn't bother Nacilbupera as much that he switch for ideological purposes, but it does bother Nacilbupera that he switch for reelection purposes: "In the course of the last several months ... I have traveled the state and surveyed the sentiments of the Republican Party in Pennsylvania and public opinion polls, observed other public opinion polls and have found that the prospects for winning a Republican primary are bleak." (CNN) Where is the statesmanship? Where is representation of the people? Can't you see that the people are so frustrated they are turning to tea parties?

Obviously Specter is not a regular subscriber of Nacilbupera and doesn't understand that Nacilbupera is serious about things and when we say we support term limits, that means we support term limits. Indeed in 2012 should our longtime dear and great Senator Hatch--whom we greatly respect and whom has fought many a valiant battle--seek reelection, Nacilbupera will be purposely seeking another candidate. Nacilbupera feels that when these elected officials become endeared to their power it closes down accountability to the people for managing the power the people have entrusted to their elected officials.

Yet one more point remains: his switching potentially alters the Senate to a Democratic filibuster-proof majority. That hands the Democrats complete control of the legislative and executive branches of government. I can feel the ire of Republicans who voted for Specter four years ago to have him switch parties at a time such as this, the last remaining Republican small check on government? I would feel entirely betrayed and would really go to work now on working on defeating his 2010 re-election bid.

Specter demonstrates that he is obsessed with retaining his power and chairmanship and provides us a good example for the case for term limits. Nacilbupera urges the good people of Pennsylvania to elect a better Senator than Specter.

Tea Party!!!

Lisa Benson's politcal cartoon today found online at cartoonistgroup.com really cracked me up. It became the anthem for today's Tea Party celebration. I think the only thing I'd change is to make the guy on the bow Obama, the chief pirate.

Nacilbupera, like many others, was unable to attend a Tea Party today because we are working hard to earn enough money to support our families AND pay our taxes while still giving back to our communities.

Nacilbupera is outraged at the Democratic-controlled US Congress. They have frivolously spent TRILLIONS left and right. This out of control spending will result in future severe inflation and devaluation of the dollar. Worst yet, many of the politicians who got us into this mess such as Barney Frank through his promoting home loans to those who couldn't afford it shrug off responsibility and accountiblity for their actions. (hey hey ho ho Barney Frank has got to go!!!)

But Congress is not solely culpable. Now that Nacilbupera as let Obama have some time in office without criticism, it is time to speak loud and clear: Obama your signing these massive spending bills rates you (so far) as the worst president in modern history. But then again I wasn't surprised because you had no executive experience and your ideals come from a far left socialist agenda.

It is at this time that Nacilbupera gives our support to an alternative plan, a better way:

(1) For the first time in our life, Nacilbupera gives support to the Fair Tax (see http://www.fairtax.org/). The 16th amendment needs to be repealed and IRS abolished. There is no defense for the status quo when Treasury Secretary "Tax Cheat" Geithner can't even get it right. The Fair Tax will also enhance savings as taxes will be increased on consumption. There should be some control in the Fair Tax to prevent particularly those with higher incomes from spending a bulk of their incomes out of country to avoid tax but this is so much better than what we have. Also we will reap a huge effeciency as we rid ourselves of a parasitical tax collecting sector of our economy and federal bureaucracy.

(2) Establish US Congressional term limits. maybe 3 or 4 terms for senator, 5 or 6 for representatives. The Congress is so concerned about controlling business that they are becoming too powerful. This modest proposal would help provide a check on Congress.

(3) Establish a federal balanced budget. Exceptions would include war approved by Congress and a majority vote by the people (its our money; we should have a say if we're going to suddenly spend more for some reason).